Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Trenton are joyfully opening wide their doors this September, welcoming back students to the rigors and rewards of a faith-based education and celebrating the new principals and presidents who are taking on new roles.

Tried-and-true methods of instruction share the stage with new, innovative use of technology and partnerships, uniting with one focus: the student.

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In an effort to highlight the best of what Catholic schools have to offer their students, schools of the Diocese submitted to The Monitor features they anticipate for the 2018-19 academic year, new and enriched programs or plans, advancements and faculty additions, and what the schools are most proud of. Here are their responses, condensed for space.More ...Monday, August 27, 2018

For Cynthia Smith, the new principal of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Maple Shade, the first day of school will mark a new beginning and a homecoming at the same time.More ...Friday, August 24, 2018

When the doors open for the first day of classes this year, students in Asbury Park’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel School will be greeted by their new principal, Theresa E. Craig.More ...Friday, August 24, 2018

When Holy Cross Preparatory Academy, Delran, opens its doors as an independent Catholic high school, it will be in the hands of seasoned administrators, including its principal, William J. Stonis, a veteran of 38 years as a public school administrator.

Mary Liz Ivins – the new interim president of Lawrenceville’s Notre Dame High School – admits that her original life plan was to “become a guidance counselor, work somewhere, marry and have 12 children.”More ...Friday, August 24, 2018

Kimberly Cioci, the new principal of St. Paul School, Burlington, is looking forward to the school year, blessed with a caring staff, five new teachers and a philosophy of education she labels as “freedom.”

My best memory of a Catholic school experience, and my whole education was the Morning Prayer. It was then that the whole day was put into perspective and a peace came over me, a sense that no matter what would happen that day, it would all be just fine.

Over the years I realized that the simplicity of Morning Prayer grew in me to be an understanding that all is grounded in one’s relationship with God; it is this grounding that helps one make sense of the world.

Reflecting on years gone by as an elementary teacher, I recall the enjoyment experienced in teaching Social Studies. Historic times and personalities came alive in an intriguing way. Beyond the textbook, additional resources brought life to the curriculum for students and teacher alike.

A common theme that surfaces throughout history is that each age, and indeed, each life, is filled with contrast – joys, sorrows, challenges, strife and at times, heart-wrenching circumstances that can only be adequately addressed with wisdom, courage, faith, and insight.

The weight room at Notre Dame High School has taken on a whole new meaning for a group of Irish football players.

“Coming to Notre Dame, I always thought of the weight room as some macho place you go down to and get huge, but it’s so much bigger than that,” senior quarterback Rob Buecker said. “It embodies so much more.”

Kevin Callahan describes using social media this way: “It’s like Paul visiting Corinth, without strapping on the sandals.”

Callahan, minister of evangelization and marketing in St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Medford, sees social media as a tool for communication, growth and community building, sharing the story of both parish and school and the Good News of the Gospel in the process.

There have been many studies in recent years on brain development. Much has been written about cognition and meta-cognition and many scholars and researchers have shared their own “thoughts about thinking.” One thing is certain: Each of us is a unique child of God, and each of our brains has developed differently – at varying rates and with distinct abilities.

While Parent Teacher Association boards have long been integral in the operations of a school community, their fundraising efforts and the support they provide are both needed and appreciated, now more than ever.

Curiosity, creativity, interdependence, and technology – infused in a rigorous content and imbedded in the ideals and traditions of the Catholic faith – are the hallmarks of the diocesan curriculum. More ...Thursday, August 23, 2018

“Catholic schools transform lives,” Bishop George V. Murry, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Catholic Education, said during a January meeting in Washington with Catholic school educators to ensure the viability of vibrant Catholic schools.

One of the underlying concerns discussed at the meeting was rising tuition costs, which among other approaches, requires school leaders and clergy “to be courageous and undaunted in going to donors, people whose lives have been positively affected by Catholic schools and have been blessed with economic security ... and ask them to give back to Catholic schools,” Bishop Murry said.More ...Thursday, August 23, 2018

Elementary schools in the Diocese of Trenton are certainly no strangers to works of service, but during the 2017-18 school year, the bounds of that service reached a whole new level. More ...Thursday, August 23, 2018

Upon hearing of the opening for principal of St. Paul School, Princeton, Kim O. Clauss immediately visited the school’s website and viewed a lip sync video students participated in the previous year.More ...Thursday, August 23, 2018

When students in Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, arrive on the first day of school Sept.4, there will be additional components included in the school’s STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Art and Mathematics) curriculum.More ...Wednesday, August 22, 2018

I hope this summer has been a time of rejuvenation, filled with family fun and joy. It is hard to believe that a new school year is quickly approaching, and we are filled with anticipation for all that the new year will bring here at St. Peter School -- new learning opportunities, new friends, and new ideas.More ...Wednesday, August 22, 2018

With the excitement of going back to school just beginning to fade, high schools around the Diocese are looking ahead to next year and gearing up enthusiasm through their yearly open houses – a time when prospective students and their parents visit a high school to take a closer look at the place that could be the next step in their education.More ...Friday, October 6, 2017

As they begin to settle in as the new leaders in their grammar schools, eighth-grade students are also beginning the next phase of their educational journey as they consider their options for selecting a high school.

Catholic high schools in the Diocese offer students a sound and innovative academic program, rooted in the teachings of Christ. Each year, graduates from these schools receive millions of dollars in scholarship monies to attend some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country.

While data supports the success of Catholic high schools, no one can promote the schools as well as those who attend them.

A sea of smiles washed over the parents, students and teachers of the Diocese of Trenton as elementary and high schools opened wide their doors this week to commence the 2017-2018 school year.More ...Thursday, September 7, 2017